Street · Bangkok
Khao San Roadถนนข้าวสาร
Walk it once after 20:00 to see the backpacker street party, eat cheap pad thai and have one beer; if you want a quieter evening, move one block over to Soi Rambuttri. By day it is a scruffy strip of hostels and travel agents.Walk it once after 8:00 PM to see the backpacker street party, eat cheap pad thai and have one beer; if you want a quieter evening, move one block over to Soi Rambuttri. By day it is a scruffy strip of hostels and travel agents.
Map to the start
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Length
400 m0.2 mi
approximate
Walk end to end
6 min
without stops
Traffic
Partly car-free
Best time
20:00–00:00; busiest Friday and Saturday8:00 PM–12:00 AM; busiest Friday and Saturday
At a glance
- Length
- 400 m0.2 mi
- Start
- East end at Tanao Road
- End
- West end at Chakrabongse Road
- Traffic
- Partly car-free
- Currency
- THB
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
Bangkok's backpacker street: a short strip of guesthouses, bars, street food, cheap clothing, tattoo parlors and massage shops that turns into a loud, pedestrian street party at night.
Getting there
No metro station nearby. Chao Phraya Express Boat to Phra Arthit pier (N13), then 10 minutes' walk; or taxi or Grab. The MRT Sam Yot station is about 20 minutes' walk.
Traffic and walking hours
Partly car-free. Closed to vehicles every evening, roughly 18:00 until late (check); open to traffic during the day.
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: 20:00–00:00; busiest Friday and Saturday
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
Hangover calm: guesthouse cafés serving breakfast, travel agents opening, stalls unpacking.
Best time: 20:00–00:00; busiest Friday and Saturday
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Walk this street
↓ about 3 min · 200 m0.1 mi
↓ about 3 min · 260 m0.2 mi
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h3 mph with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Where to shop and what it costs
- Street-food cartsPad thai, spring rolls, grilled skewers, fruit shakes and mango sticky rice฿40–150 (≈ US$2–5) / portionPrice check →
- Clothing and souvenir stallsElephant pants, printed T-shirts, bags and trinketsPrices are negotiable฿100–500 (≈ US$4–16) / itemPrice check →
- Massage shopsStreet-front foot and Thai massage, open until late฿250–500 (≈ US$8–16) / hourPrice check →
- Bars and pubsOpen-front bars with loud music, cheap beer and buckets฿80–350 (≈ US$3–11) / drinkPrice check →
Typical buys
- Pad thai from a street cart฿50–100 (≈ US$2–4) / platePrice check →
- Large bottle of Thai beer in a bar฿100–180 (≈ US$4–6) / bottlePrice check →
- Cocktail bucketStrength and ingredients vary฿150–350 (≈ US$5–11) / bucketPrice check →
- Thai massage (foot or body)฿250–450 (≈ US$8–14) / hourPrice check →
- T-shirt or elephant pantsBargain฿100–300 (≈ US$4–10) / itemPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Street carts on the stripCheap and quick; the pad thai carts near the middle are a Khao San ritual.
- Soi Rambuttri restaurantsOne block north, tables under trees with Thai standards and a calmer atmosphere.
Sights on the street
- Wat Chana SongkhramWorking temple just west of the street, between Khao San and Rambuttri; quiet contrast (dress modestly).
- Grand PalaceAbout 20 minutes' walk south-west or a short taxi; go early in the morning.
- Wat PhoReclining Buddha, a short ride beyond the Grand Palace.
- Phra Sumen FortRiverside fort and park 10 minutes north-west, nice at sunset.
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show the driver
Show the driver
ช่วยไปส่งที่ถนนข้าวสาร ฝั่งถนนตะนาว ครับ/ค่ะ
Please take me to Khao San Road, at the Tanao Road end.
Say 'khrap' if you are a man and 'kha' if you are a woman. At night cars cannot enter the street; the driver will stop on Tanao Road.
Safety, traffic and scams
Pickpockets and bag snatching in the night crush medium
Spiked or very strong drinks, especially buckets medium
Drunk tourists and fights late at night low
Scams and traps
- Tuk-tuk drivers offering very cheap city tours that stop at gem shops and tailors, where they earn commission; the 'government gem sale' is a classic scam. Refuse any tour that includes shopping stops.
- Strangers saying the Grand Palace or a temple is 'closed today' and offering an alternative trip; check the official entrance yourself.
- Fake IDs, diplomas and press cards sold openly; they are illegal to use.
- Taxis refusing the meter at night; use a ride-hailing app or walk to a main road and insist on the meter.
Accessibility
- Flat and paved, but stalls, tables and crowds block much of the road at night; uneven curbs and drain covers.
- Many bars and guesthouses have steps at the entrance; toilets are often upstairs.
Photo tips
- The neon signs and crowds from a second-floor bar balcony around 22:00.The neon signs and crowds from a second-floor bar balcony around 10:00 PM.
- Ask before photographing vendors or performers.
A line of history
Khao San means 'milled rice': the street was a rice-trading area in the late 19th century. Budget guesthouses appeared in the 1980s and it grew into a backpacker center, helped by its fame in travel guides and the 2000 film 'The Beach'.
Combine with
- Soi RambuttriTree-shaded lane wrapping around the temple one block north; quieter bars and restaurants.
- Phra Athit RoadRiverside street of cafés and small bars 10 minutes west.
More streets in Bangkok: Yaowarat Road
Questions people ask
Is Khao San Road safe?
Generally yes: it is busy and policed. The usual problems are pickpockets, strong drinks and tourist scams, not violent crime.
Is it worth staying on Khao San?
If you want nightlife and cheap rooms, yes. Light sleepers should stay on Soi Rambuttri or Phra Athit, a few minutes away.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage: Bangkok/Rattanakosin
- officialTourism Authority of Thailand